One morning, one morning, one morning in May,
Oh, I spied a fair couple just making their way,
And one was a lady,
A lady was she.
The other was a soldier,
And a brave one was he.

"May I go with you as you journey along?
May I go with you? I'll sing you a song."
"Sing 'The Old Concord' for that'll make the violin ring,
And I'll see the water gliding,
Hear the nightingale sing."

Said the lady to the soldier,
"I'm lonesome and blue,
And it seems from your actions
That you're lonesome, too.
So we'll go together
Down to that great spring,
To see the water gliding
And hear the nightingale sing."

Well, they had not been there
More than an hour or two,
'Til out from his satchel
A violin he drew.
He sang the 'Old Concord,'
And he made the violin ring,
And seen the water gliding
And heard the nightingale sing.

Said the soldier to the lady,
"It's time we should go."
"Oh, no," said the lady,
"Play me just one tune more.
I'd rather hear you fiddle
One tap on the string,
Than to see the water gliding
And hear the nightingale sing."

So he tuned up his fiddle
In a higher key.
Played a shamrock of Erin
And he played it so free.
Played a shamrock of Erin
And he made the violin ring,
And they seen the water gliding,
And heard the nightingale sing.

Said the lady to the soldier,
"Why don't you marry me?"
"Oh, no," said the soldier,
"That never could be.
I've got a sweet wife in Scotland
And children twice three.
You know that's a-plenty
For a soldier like me."

"Goodbye," said the soldier,
With a parting caress.
"Tomorrow I'm going
To the throne of Queen Bess,
But if I ever come back
To thee to that great spring,
May we see the water gliding
And hear the nightingale sing."

"Goodbye," said the lady,
As she gave him her hand.
"I'll think of you often
In Erin's fair land,
But I'd rather hear the fiddle,
One tap on the string,
Than to see the water gliding
And hear the nightingale sing."